Kindred Spirits
by Zivitz
Summary: "She called me 'Dad' today."


"She called me 'Dad' today," he said, as he rinsed a dish and placed it on the rack.

"She _what_?" Claire put down the crossword and stared at him as he reached for another.

"Ran right up to me while I was working on my bike and said, 'Dad, can I have a popsicle?'" Owen put the last plate on the rack and turned around, leaning on the sink.

"Wow. That's… wow. What did you do?"

He shrugged. "I said yes."

"Owen." Her tone was reproachful.

Owen scrubbed his hands over his eyes. "What was I supposed to say? 'Hey, that's new'? It caught me off guard. I don't know how to be around kids, Claire. What if I say the wrong thing? She's been through so much, what if I screw her up because I don't know what I'm doing?"

Claire got up and took the two steps over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and looking him in the eye. "You're doing great. You think I'm any better at this? We're learning as we go along, all three of us. Besides, you do too know how to be with kids. You were great with the boys."

"You **are** better at this, you connect with her. Besides, they were boys, and she's a girl."

Claire drew back, indignant. "Please tell me you didn't mean that the way it sounded."

Owen blew out a breath. "No, I mean, I was a boy. I can get them. And they were teenagers anyway. I literally have more experience with man eating dinosaurs than I do with nine year old girls."

She drew closer once more, and gave him a peck on the lips. "Owen, it's not me she has the connection with. It's you. Just talk to her. Be honest. She's a smart kid."

He found Maisie propped up against one of the studs in what someday soon would be the cabin's kitchen, a book in her lap. Owen dropped down beside her. "Hey, kid. Whatcha reading?"

She showed him the cover. "Anne of Green Gables."

"Is it any good?"

Maisie shrugged.

"What's it about?"

When the silence stretched out longer than normal, he playfully bumped her shoulder with his elbow. "Hey, you space out on me?"

"It's about an orphan that nobody wants. She finally thinks she's getting adopted, but when she gets there they didn't want her after all."

 _Oh_ , he thinks. _Shit_.

There's a long silence while he tries to figure out what to say. When she finally speaks, it's like the words burst forth of their own accord. "What's going to happen to me when you decide I'm too much trouble? Do they still have orphanages?" Her breath hitched. "No one's going to want me, I'm too old," she said miserably.

"Hey, hey, hold on. You're not going anywhere. You're staying right here with us." Owen nudged her forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "What makes you think we'd ever send you away?"

She sniffled. "I can hear you and Claire talking at night, sometimes. You say my name, and words like 'problems', and 'frustrated' and 'stubborn' and 'expensive'. I leave my clothes lying around and don't pick up my toys all the time, and I get really crabby. I'm stubborn and Iris says I'm impudent, and I don't always do my homework and I hate chores, I put my elbows on the table and I make lots of mistakes and I'm no good at maths. When you guys have kids I'll just get in the way, and-"

Owen let his head fall back against the stud behind him as she vented all her worries.

"Maisie," he said, stopping her mid-sentence. "When you hear me and Claire talking about you, it's because we're trying to keep you. I wish it was as easy as just running away with a kid, but it's not. There's paperwork and lawyers and home studies. Your Grandpa left you a lot of his estate, and there are lawyers who worked for your Grandpa who are trying to make sure we want you for the right reasons. I can't promise there won't be times when one or both of us are frustrated or angry or impatient with you or each other, but it doesn't mean you're not wanted. It just means we're all human. The really great part about family is that you can be all of those things sometimes but you still love each other anyway. You and me and Claire, we're family." He gave her a squeeze. "Plus, I'm pretty sure when you heard 'expensive' it was because I called a guy about drilling a well and he's totally trying to fleece us."

She wiped her eyes and rubbed her nose on her sleeve. Iris would have fainted. "Really?"

"Really. And you do not ever have to worry about being in the way. Claire and I- sometimes, things are complicated with grown-ups. But we're pretty dedicated to you being our Maisie forever. If- BIG if- there are ever any more kids in our lives, well, you will be an awesome big sister."

Maisie peered up at him. "Are you sure? You're not just saying that?"

He lifted his head to look her in the eye. "Positive." She searched his face, looking for signs of deception. Finding none, she nodded and tentatively rested her head against his chest.

Owen hesitated. "Earlier, when you asked me for a popsicle-"

"Oh," she said at once, cheeks flushing bright pink. "I- I'm sorry. Sometimes- sometimes I like to pretend. That I'm normal. With parents, and everything. I was playing, and it just came out."

"Hey," he said softly, tipping her chin up to look at him. "You are normal. You might not have gotten here the regular way, but you are every inch a normal little girl from what I can tell. And if you want, you can call me Dad."

"I don't know how to _have_ a dad," whispered Maisie.

"Well that's pretty handy, because I don't know how to _be_ one. I guess we'll have to figure it out together." He patted her thigh with his hand. "C'mon, I'm pretty sure Claire's got some of those cupcakes you like tucked away." He got to his feet and offered her a hand.

"Do you think-" she started, as he hauled her upright.

"I think that's a talk you're going to have to have with her. But I'm pretty sure she'll be happy crying by the end of it."

She nodded as she picked up her book, and took a step before turning on him. "Do you want to know what happens to Anne?"

"Sure. What happens to Anne?"

Maisie smiled broadly. "They keep her."

He looped an arm around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Of course they do."


End file.
